"You still awake?" Barbara asks, and I nod. "Good. Gabby's on the phone." She
hands me the cordless phone and motions that I have about a half an hour. I walk
out to the Clocktower's balcony and sigh at the sight of the shimmering stars.

"Yeah," I heard on the other end of the line, "are you still awake? It's like
midnight there, right?"

"I never sleep," I tell the voice.

"Yes you do," she responds, "and you snore-"

"I don't-"

"Loud," she says, cutting off what we both knew was a lie. I chuckle.

"I'm glad you called Gabby. I miss you."

"I know babe. I miss you, too."

"It's hard not seeing you in school everyday. I always find myself wishing we
were back in high school," I continue.

"Yeah... Hey, remember junior year after you told me about your you-know-whats?"
I smile at this memory, knowing she doesn't have to say anything more, as I
often think of it when I miss Gabby, which is often. "Man, I never thought big
guys like them could ever be afraid of a drinking fountain. I wish I could do
what you can do, Dinah. 'Makes life interesting." She said this before in the
last year and a half she's known about my metahuman abilities. It was one of
those moments I had to tell her. Someone was sabotaging the school plays in
order to get the lead roles, and when Gabby and I were at King Lear, I had to
stop a stage light from hitting the newest lead on the head, possibly killing
her.

"Yes, I remember that." It is silent between us, but this silence isn't as
awkward as I expected it to be. Finally, knowing that I had to eventually ask
out of curiousity and politeness, I ask, "So how's UCLA? Is the weather still
hot? Are the girls?"

"That's the funny thing. I feel as if I'm going to Mattel U.

Everyone looks like Barbie and/or Ken, and it's kind of weird. So...

You still mad at me for going to college across the country?"

"Livid," I answer honestly, "but at least you called. I was so sure you
wouldn't."

"Dad said he's sending me phone cards once a month, so I'm going to call you
as much as time allows." I smile at that.

"Good. Just keep in mind that we're three hours apart. I don't know what
Barbara would think if we keep getting phone calls at midnight every once in a
while."

"Tell my body that I'm no longer in New Gotham time. I always feel sleepy at
seven or so." Another silence, then she sighs. "Beautiful. Can you see the
moon?"

"Yes, I am outside," I reply.

"Really?

"Mm-hmm."

"This feels like that Fivel song."

" 'Somewhere Out There' ?" I ask, looking up at the cresent shape above me.

"Yeah. Well, the part that goes, 'And even though I know how very far apart
we are, it helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star'. So tell
me, if we were wishing on the same star, and we wished for the same thing, say a
puppy, would we both get our own respective puppy? Or would I be on break and we
walk along the sidewalk and a puppy comes up to us and we adopt it together...?"
I think about this.

"I wouldn't wish for a puppy."

"What would you wish for then?

"I would wish for UCLA to burn to the ground so you have no choice but to
come back to New Gotham."

"Damn," I say, hoping I sounded playful, but inside I feel the loneliness
settle in a little bit more.

"Are you okay?"

"Peachy."

"Dinah... Everything I'll ever need is in New Gotham."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah,"

"Gabby, I want you to know that it'll always be like the Fivel song, okay?"

"What do you mean?" Gabby asks, and I can hear her confusion.

"Someone's always thinking of you," I tell her.

"And loving me tonight?" Gabby asks playfully, finishing the lyric. I suck in
a deep breath and say the closest thing I could about how I felt for her.

"And loving you every night."

"Like I said," Gabby says softly, "Everything I will ever need is in New
Gotham. I'm coming back."

"Okay, I believe you."

"I didn't abandon you, if that is what you've been thinking.

I didn't go to Cali because it was the farthest away from you I could
possibly get, so you can stop thinking that right now. I promise you that-"

"You can't make any promises, Gabby. You don't know what the future's going
to bring."

"Fine, but I know this: A future without you... is not one I want to live
in." I feel my chest constrict, and I feel a tear come to my eyes.

"Okay-okay look, Barbara's... giving me..." I take in a deep breath, wipe my
eye and try to be playful, even though what I am about to tell her is a lie. I
just can't have anymore of this conversation without breaking down and crying.
"Dun dun dunnnn...

The LOOK."

"Nooo! Run for the hills! Not the Look! Okay, I'll give you a call as soon as
I know for sure what the holiday schedule is like."

"Until then... Oh- Gabby," I say as an after thought.

"Yeah?" I want so badly to tell her everything I have meant to tell her since
our junior year of high school, but can't.
Somehow, telling her I'm a metahuman is a thousand times easier than telling her
I love her. I sigh.

"When you come home, I am kicking your ass for getting the Fivel song stuck
in my head- and I don't even know the words!" I can almost see her grin, but I
know it is there on her face.

"I'm looking forward to it," she says. There was a soft giggle, which makes
me smile as well, then the line goes dead.